In memoriam: Dr. Josep Séculi i Brillas
This year (2017) is 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Josep Séculi i Brillas due to this our team dedicates a post In memoriam blog of Veterinaria Digital.

He was born in Gavá (Barcelona), on January 2, 1917, in a family from the lower Ampurdán and passed away in Barcelona, at age 81, on March 11, 1998.
Son of Josep Séculi i Roca, distinguished veterinarian and man of moral principles and exemplary ethics, who left a great mark. He lived from his childhood in a veterinary environment, realizing fully the difficulties of the professional exercise in the rural environment. His involvement with health, in the broadest sense of the concept has been fully demonstrated, since he knew how to convey to his children the importance of it and the result of it is the fact that he was the father of two veterinarians (Fco. Alejandro), three doctors (José Luis, Montse and Alberto), a nurse (Pilar) and a registered nurse (Immaculate).
Dr. Séculi, graduated a high school at the Jaume Balmes Institute in Barcelona. In October of 1933 he began his studies in Veterinary Medicine at the Higher School of Zaragoza, which concluded in July 1940, having obtained 23 honors, 11 outstanding and 8 remarkable, showing in his youth his great vocation and his full intellectual capacity. Founded the Faculties of Veterinary, in the year, 1949 revalidates the degree of license in the Faculty of Veterinary of Madrid and in the year 1974 exposes and defends its doctoral thesis, titled: "Contribution to the knowledge of Swine Atrophic Rhinitis in Spain", In the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Zaragoza, obtaining the maximum qualification of "Outstanding".
In order to enrich his professional training, he obtained a diploma in various specialties: Artificial Insemination of Livestock (Madrid, 1945), Animal Feeding (Madrid, 1949), Parasitology (Granada, 1949), Rabies.
In addition, he entered as opposition in the National Veterinary Corps (Ministry of Agriculture) (Madrid, 1941) and Corps of Veterinarian (Ministry of Health) (Madrid, 1942). His duties in the administration were always in Barcelona, highlighting those of the Veterinary Inspection of External Health in the Customs of Barcelona (Ministry of Health) and the Services of Hygiene and Health Cattle of the Catalan coast of the General Direction of Livestock (Ministry of Farming).
His activities and responsibilities in the discharge of his duties were diverse, especially his intervention in the eradication of rabies (1947-1952), a disease of great importance in the postwar civil war for its transmission to people, achieving its eradication in Spain in 1966.
In October 1960, he was appointed as responsible to the fight against African swine fever (PPA) in Barcelona on the occasion of the presentation of this exotic epizootic in the pigs of the rubbish dumps of the capital, from Portugal, Extremadura, Madrid, Africa, deploying an intense action for its eradication.
In 1971 he was appointed as Regional Inspector of Ports, Airports and Borders of the IV Regional Agrarian Division and in 1975 he was appointed as Regional Inspector of Animal Health, a position he held until his retirement in 1985.
Dr. Séculi has been a permanent member since 1970 of the Franco-Spanish Veterinary Commission on Hygiene and Animal Health with annual alternate meetings in each country and a member of the international meeting of the O.I.E. on the problem of African swine fever.
In the liberal exercise of the profession, we can emphasize that he dedicated himself to the subjects: Infectious pathology, Epizootías (rabies, African and classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease), modern technology of animal nutrition and technical and scientific poultry, having completed his training in centers such as the Institute of Animal Biology and Higher School of Health (Madrid) and the Veterinary Schools of Toulouse, Lyon and Alfort (Paris).
He felt a special appreciation for the swine sector, perhaps a memory of his beloved father, a specialist in the field that led him to advise and collaborate with farms of Catalan swine selection, among them Jaume Badía Campabadal, President of the Breeders Association Of Selected Pigs, great fighter in defense of swine production.
In the poultry field he worked hard as an organizing member or presenting papers at the National Poultry Assemblies of Barcelona (1946), Palma de Mallorca and Valencia. He was President or vocal on several occasions of the Examination Tribunal of Poultry Expert of the Royal School of Poultry of Arenys de Mar from 1946 to 1970. In 1947, a new epizootía different from the classic avian classics, published the first National work, identifying it as Newcastle disease in the magazine of the College of Veterinarians of Barcelona.
Dr. Séculi did not practice the pet clinic but was a pioneer in programming since 1947 and from Neosan Products specialties dedicated exclusively to the dog and cat clinic and editing books and publishing articles that allowed many veterinarians to start this specialty. From the Veterinary Academy of Barcelona and the Academy of Veterinary Sciences supported the attendance at the World Congresses of Small Animals, the foundation of AVEPA, the celebration of its first National and International Congresses and the VII World Congress of Small Animals World Small Animal Veterinary Association, held in Barcelona in 1980.
In his professional life he always maintained a close professional relationship with the pharmaceutical business world. Between 1942-1986 he helped to create and grow, with Dr. Isidro Bultó, the Veterinary Department of the General Society of Pharmacy (of which he was Technical Advisor), later called Rocador, sa, Neosan Produtos de Terapéutica Veterinaria, S.A , where he was Technical Director and Counselor. Director of his magazine Noticias Neosan. It introduced and disseminated in Spain the use of sulfamides for the treatment of domestic conditions as well as numerous substances such as arsanilic acid in the enteric processes of pigs, antihistamines in anasarca and infosura of equines, salts Cadmium and sodium fluoride in swine ascaridiosis, synthetic spasmolytics in spastic colics, hormones, antihemorrhagics, among many others.
In 1952-1982 he contributed to the creation of Unisol Laboratories, S.A., preparers of sera and vaccines where he was an Adviser and Technical Council.
Also from 1978 to 1985 was Technical Advisor of Tura Laboratories, S.A.
In 1957, he participates in the creation of Rosens, S.A. PICROSA, with factories in Manresa and Banyoles, company where he was Technical Advisor and Counselor until 1975.
In 1946 he was elected by a vote of the Board of the Veterinary College of Barcelona, being elected President in 1954 and re-elected by a vote for four more terms, serving as President for 23 years (1954-1977), with an intense dedication to improve scientific and professional by replacing from the College the lack of a training center in Catalonia. At the end of his term he was appointed President of Honor.
At this time the scientific sections have started, Scientific sessions, academic courses, colloquium conferences, National Veterinary Week (first in Barcelona in 1960), the Veterinary Symposiums of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands were held, (15 traveling from 1958 to 1975), The Hispano-French Veterinary Conferences, scholarship holders were sent abroad, especially university centers in France, the monthly magazine "Annals of the Official College of Veterinarians of Barcelona" was strengthened and lasted more than thirty years. He devoted part of his fruitful activity to improving the collegiate library, with a clear benefit to all veterinarians. His incessant scientific and professional activity allowed an update of the knowledge of many veterinarians and make known and expose their knowledge to many young veterinarians.
Throughout the years of his presidency, he opened the Catalan veterinary parties, closed exclusively to the titular veterinarians, to all the veterinary professionals.
During its period of presidency, also, the new and present building of the School of Veterinarios of Barcelona (1975) was constructed.
Between the years, 1962-1977 he was National Councilor, representing to the Colleges of Catalonia and Baleares, in the Council of Veterinary Colleges of Spain.
He acted very actively in the attainment of a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Bellaterra (Barcelona) that was obtained in 1982 (BOE 23.07.1982). He collaborated and supported with great vehemence and enthusiasm a series of people like Drs. Francesc Puchal, Agustí Carol, Serra Ramoneda, Maria Àngels Calvo, Lluis Viñas, in the attainment of the much desired Faculty of Veterinary of Catalonia.
His desire to divulge the role of the veterinary in the livestock and public health world led him to publish articles in the daily press, obtaining the National Agrarian Press Prize 1964, from the Ministry of Agriculture, for the series of 41 articles published in the Barcelona press, Paper of Monday, in 1963 and 1964.
He promoted or established the scientific awards in memory of excellent colleagues, Ramón Turró, Francesc Darder i Llimona, Josep Farreras, Pere Rosell i Vilà, Josep Vidal i MunnéAncla and Juan Homedes Ranquini to recall the most outstanding Catalan veterinary precursors.
A man of great family tradition established in the heart of the College of Veterinarians of Barcelona, prizes to motivate the study for the children of veterinarians, both in the stage of high school and university.
He was the initiator of National Veterinary Weeks, the first in Barcelona in 1960 and followed by others in several Spanish capitals until 1970 (Zaragoza 1962, Córdoba 1964, Santander 1966 and La Coruña 1970).
In 1960, he founded, with a group of colleagues, the Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Barcelona, now Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Catalonia, by merging the 6 Scientific Sections of the College and the Seminary of Veterinary Sciences of Barcelona with the aim of promoting knowledge and research in the field of veterinary medicine, in the absence of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Catalonia. He was Vice President, President and Honorary President of that Institution.
In recognition of the enormous work developed by Dr. Séculi, in 2014, the Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Catalonia created an annual award in his honor, destined to distinguish the best doctoral thesis read in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University Autonomous of Barcelona and to appoint Academic Correspondent to the author of the same.
This intense scientific and cultural activity earned him the name of Academic Number of various Institutions: Royal Academy of Pharmacy (1958), Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of Catalonia (1970), which was previously a corresponding member and subsequently Vocal and treasurer of the Board of Directors under the presidency of Drs. Pere Domingo, Moisés Broggi and Josep Laporte, Real Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Madrid (1978) and corresponding Academician of the Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Valencia (1976).
In the Real Academy of Medicine occupied the armchair number 38, previously occupied by his admired Dr. Turró i Darder. It was answered by Dr. Belarmino Rodríguez Arias, who defined it as "one of the most complete values of the Veterinary Science of the moment".
Historian of the veterinary studied its origins and its importance. In 1990, he created, with a group of veterinarians and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Catalan Association of Veterinary History (ACHV), with the purpose of promoting research in an almost forgotten field. He was its President until 1996.
We must also emphasize that he was director of several magazines: the Circular of the Official College of Veterinarians of Barcelona that later became the "Annals of the Official College of Veterinarians of the Province of Barcelona" (1946-1979), Neosan News (1942-1986), Neosan Poultry (1950-1957) and Veterinary (1972-1976). He published seven books, and wrote more than 200 scientific papers. He was a director, teacher, speaker, moderator, member of numerous congresses, assemblies, symposia, conferences, president or juror and court member.
Among the honors received were: President of Honor of the Official Association of Veterinarians of Barcelona (1959), Honorary President of the Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Catalonia (1996), Gold Medal of the Association of the National Veterinary Corps (1986) , Diploma and Gold Medal of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Barcelona (1962), Prize Dr. Lluis Sayé 1994 (with Dr. Jacint Corbella for "Nomina Academicorum") and 1995 ("Higia Pecoris") of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia, National Prize of Agrarian Press of the Ministry of Agriculture (1964), Medal of Exma Diputación Provincial of Barcelona (1976), Medal of Agriculture Ramaderia and Boscos of the Generalitat de Catalunya (1990),, Commissions of number of the Civil Order of Health (1968) and of Agricultural Merit (1975), Gold Medal of the Spanish Veterinary Association of Specialists in Small Animals, AVEPA, (1996).
His outstanding personality was reflected in the Gran Enciclopedia Catalana since its first edition in 1979.